Picture courtesy o' LOC/Precision

Brief:
This model is a single-stage, three-motor, cluster rocket. Ya scallywag! It was designed for 24mm mid-power motors. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! Primarily D and E impulse motors.

Construction:
In this kit thar are one body tube, three motor tubes, me hearties, two 3/16" plywood centerin' rings, three 3/16" plywood fins, shiver me timbers, one 18" nylon parachute, one elastic shock cord and mount, me hearties, 1/4" launch lug and a plastic nose cone.

T' instruction for this kit were structured for modelers that have built a few rockets and understand how a rocket should be assembled. They explain the areas o' t' kit that differ from others in good detail. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' order of construction was well thought out so you do nay have t' "go back" in the construction process. Well, blow me down! This kit is very easy t' build. Begad!

T' only area I wish I had paid more attention was motor retention. Well, blow me down! LOC does not include a method o' retention in this kit. Which is good in me opinion. Begad! The builder can choose his/her own method o' motor retention. I had t' rocket completely assembled when I discovered how I wanted t' retain t' motors. Arrr! Arrr! The tree motor tubes are epoxied together in a pyramid style. Aye aye! Begad! Durin' construction, a length o' all-thread rod can be epoxied in t' middle o' t' three tubes so that it extends past t' aft end o' t' assembly. Avast! This way, t' motors can be retained with a nut and washer. Avast! Begad! I had t' "go back" and drill a hole in t' epoxy for t' threaded rod. It works very well.

If you do nay use t' all-thread style motor retention, remember t' seal the gap betwixt t' motor tubes with epoxy. Begad! This will prevent ventin' t' ejection gases rather than deployin' t' recovery system.

All t' parts fit very well. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I did nay have t' sand any o' t' parts to make them fit. Aye aye! I was a bit concerned about t' fin method o' fin attachment at first. Aye aye! T' aft end o' t' motor tubes extend past t' aft end o' t' body tube. This makes up a large part o' t' length o' t' rocket. T' fins are attached at t' motor tube joints. No through t' wall mounts here. Begad! However, A little patience and a lot o' epoxy in t' fin t' tube joints will pay off in t' long run. Begad! Begad! Also I suggest an epoxy fillet in each motor tube joint. Blimey! Avast! This will greatly increase t' strength o' t' lower end o' t' rocket.

All in all, usin' good construction techniques and EPOXY, me hearties, t' Viper III turned out very sturdy.

Finishing:
T' only "con" that I can say about this kit be t' spiral grooves. Need I say more? T' grooves in t' body tube were no worse than an Estes kit though. Avast! I filled them with Elmer's FNF and they turned out smooth and invisible when primed and painted. Avast! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' fins were coated with sandin' sealer and sanded several times before priming. Ahoy! Avast! I used auto primer t' start t' finishing process. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! One light coat. Then sanded smooth. Avast! Aye aye! Any imperfection were filled with Squadron Green putty. Aye aye! Then primed and sanded until I was pleased with the finish. Arrr! Krylon "Glowin' Lemon Yellow" fluorescent paint was applied the t' t' main body tube. T' nose cone, me bucko, motor tubes and fins were painted gloss black. There were no decals included in t' kit. This allows t' modeler to add their own design. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' model looks great after it's finished even without decals.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are D12-7 and E30-7. I used three Estes D12-5's for t' first two flights. Ahoy! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Cellulose insulation was used for wadding. This stuff works great! It's cheap and can be bought at almost any building supply store. Avast, me proud beauty! About three inches o' t' body tube full is enough. Aye aye! As I mentioned earlier I used a piece o' all-thread epoxied betwixt t' motor tubes with a nut and washer for motor retention. Aye aye! Arrr! I also epoxied thrust rings in the motor tubes t' keep t' motor from movin' forward. If you plan t' use motors longer than D's and E's, don't put any thrust rings in. Aye aye! Other motors will not fit. Avast, me proud beauty! T' day I flew it for t' first time was near perfect. Blimey! 5-10 MPH winds clear skies and t' temp was around 80. Well, matey, blow me down! I used t' Estes ignitors that came with t' motors. Begad! I have an Ignitorman kit, but didn't have time t' make some up before this launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Upon hittin' t' GO button t' rocket lifted off very quickly and straight as an arrow. Beautiful flight. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I guessimate altitude at approximately 1000'. Recovered close t' t' pads with no damage.

Recovery:
T' shock cord is attached t' t' inside o' t' body tube usin' a small Keelhaul®©™® string. Ya scallywag! T' strin' is taped t' t' tube so that a loop extends one inch from the end. Blimey! Epoxy is applied other t' end o' t' strin' and tape. This a very strong mount. Arrr! T' included elastic shock cord is then tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® string. Ahoy! Arrr! I tied a loop in t' very end o' t' shock cord for t' parachute to attach. Blimey! Arrr! T' nose cone was attached about 18" from t' parachute. Begad! T' set up returned t' rocket very nicely. Aye aye! Avast! It landed close t' t' pads at a rate that did cause damage upon impact. Blimey! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This a great kit. Arrr! Begad! I be kinda nervous about t' first launch. Ahoy! It be me first cluster rocket. It assembled and finished very well. T' flight can be summed up in one word. Avast! WOW! I haven't flown it on E motors yet. Blimey! I can hardly wait.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' t' referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. Well, blow me down! For more information, use t' two links above.

"T' components are solid, me hearties, quality parts: plywood fins and centering rings, ya bilge rat, me hearties, rugged cardboard tubing, arrr, plastic nosecone, me hearties, matey, and three 24mm motor mount tubes."
"A unique feature o' this rocket is that t' motor mount portion o' the rocket is exposed..."
"Buildin' t' Viper III was quite simple."
"T' instructions are clear and easy t' follow..."
"There are no decals with t' Viper III."
"It's unique, matey, me hearties, arrr, yet simple t' build, and a solid performer."

T' entire article gives t' impression is that it a skilled modeler would enjoy this unique kit.